LoganCircle

I've had good luck at the Chinatown location. My (little) burgers have always tasted great, have been served just the way I ordered them, and have been pretty manageable as far as messiness goes. I always feel bad throwing away half of my fries, which unlike the correctly served burgers, tend to be sometimes "cajun" and sometimes not. It is beyond me how someone manages to eat the following, which was ordered while I was waiting for my last meal there: a bacon cheeseburger with mayonaise, lettuce, tomato, fried onions, green peppers, jalapenos, mushrooms, and A-1 sauce. It's interesting to watch the cook try and squish all of that stuff down to seal the foil wrapper shut.

"Yes, but I'd only been on hormones for about six months when it was taken." "No. That's my mother." "Would you please sign here? We keep a register for everyone who asks me that." "No. It's Mary Leakey, before Olduvai."

I bought a dozen cupcakes at Reeve's Bakery during lunch and brought them back to the office to share with my coworkers. The cupcakes, while good, were not of the same ilk as those served by the establishments mentioned in my original post. The cakes were light and airy, more like what you'd find at the Giant than at Magnolia, Buttercup, et al. The buttercream frosting was also light, and was decidedly more buttery than sweet. I had, ahem, three of the four varieties available today, so that I could fairly report back to you all. Interestingly, my usual preference for yellow or vanilla cake with buttercream frosting was not the combination I liked most from Reeve's. The Reeve's Cupcake Taste-off Rankings: 1. Yellow cake with chocolate fudge frosting 2. Chocolate cake with buttercream frosting 3. Yellow cake with buttercream frosting (usually my favorite) -- 4. Chocolate cake with chocolate fudge frosting (did not sample) When I, in all seriousness, asked the panel of staff what the ingredients were in the cupcakes (or if they had a list that I could look over), they chuckled and provided an "ummm, cake." After a little prodding, they did say they used butter rather than oil. That was the end of that line of inquiry. The little treats were $1.00 undecorated and $1.35 with Halloween decoration. And while I'll keep looking for something more to my liking, I would eat these over Cakelove's any day of the week.

You would see me at least twice a week. Find a 400 square foot space in the right pedestrian neighborhood and you've got a business partner waiting.

Having never been to Bouchon, I looked at their online menu to get an idea of what is served and at what prices. Looks good to me, and at $28.50 the steak frites--the most expensive item on the menu--is less than a comparable $31 offering at Bis.

My queries aren't making the cut on Tom and Todd's respective chats, so I'll pose my question here: Where in the District can one find a good cupcake? And by good, you can presume that I don't mean the chilled, dry, overly-pasty-buttercream iced vareity sold up on U Street. I'm looking for bakeries, restaurants, or any other kind of retailer, provided they are in the District or are accessible by Metro. NYC has Magnolia, Baked, Billy's, Buttercup, Crumbs, Sugar Sweet Sunshine, and so many more. Surely we must have a hidden gem somewhere. Reference: New York Magazine on the NYC Cupcake Wars Cupcakes Take The Cake --- [The following posts have been split into separate threads: Curbside Cupcakes (SeanMike) Crumbs Bake Shop (DaveO)]

At room temperature the buttercream frosting fails to hold. When left out overnight, the layers of my "New German Chocolate" cake separated and slid in different directions. I remain unimpressed.

I'm not sure what the Wine Director at one of America's 2005 5-Star, 5-Diamond restaurants would have to say about that. Meet Mrs. Chantelle Grilhot, Sommelier at The Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead (Atlanta). She replaced Michael McNeill last year, after impressing Philippe Buttin (Sommelier at Joel, under whom she began her tutelage) and Claude Guillaume. You just got served.

Heed Laniloa's advice. I stopped by the bar last night for a dinner of tomato salad, spring rolls, and creme brulee. The tomatoes were show-stoppingly good, reminiscent of the rural Georgian tomatoes of my youth.

Please add me to the list (+1). I will bring Better-than-Cakelove red velvet cupcakes.

Yeah, umm, what Jael said! I am greatful to have had the opportunity to take part in the Eve dinner. Thanks to hillvalley for organizing the affair, to Don for conceiving the idea, and to all at Eve for their brilliant execution. And a big THANK YOU to the folks at my table (jm chen, goldenticket, David, kanishka, melgold, Mrs. B, Waitman, laniloa, and hillvalley) for making this first-timer feel welcome.

I think Rocks has suggested good minimums. I also suspect that many of us will do what we can to make sure the service staff has a night as good as ours.

I stopped by Acadiana last night for a few glasses of wine and a light dinner at the bar, something that might become a bit of a habit as I pass by the restaurant on my walk home. Still stuffed from the roast beef po boy at lunch, I opted for two appetizers instead of a main. At the recommendation of Zach, an affable bartender (who mentioned previous stints at Ortanique and Sette), I started with the char-broiled oysters. Six ginormous oysters, specie unknown, were broiled on the half-shell and topped with garlic butter and a blend of parmesan and romano cheese. They were served with a half-sized loaf of warm, crusty french bread, which was the perfect vessel to deliver the excess butter and cheese. The dish was straightforward and good, and with the loaf of bread could almost make a meal on its own. I followed with the heirloom tomato salad, and sampled some of the best tomatoes of the year. The salad comprised a small serving of three or four varieties of microgreens, dressed lightly with a fragrant, sweet vinaigrette, served over four half-inch slices of tomato. The tomato could not have been better. It was plump, sweet, and juicy--and eating it on an illuminated bar proved interesting, as I could see the membranes and translucent interior of the fruit each time I lifted a bite. The salad was served with crostini that were topped with a whipped parmesan spread that, for some reason, reminded me of my mother's homeamde pimento cheese. I can see myself stopping by regularly just for this salad during the reaminder of peak tomato season. I finished my meal by ordering the praline creme brulee. The dessert was a little too viscous, a little too egg-y for my taste. I only finished half of it but did enjoy the sugared sleeve of pecans used as a garnish. Upon seeing me push back the half-eaten dessert, the other bartender asked, knowingly, "too thick?" One of the nearby servers was in clear disagreement and claimed the creme brulee was her favorite offering on the menu. Three glasses of 2004 Jardin Sauvignon Blanc (Stellenbosch, South Africa) and I left more than sated. I found the space to be handsomely decorated, deceptively large, and quite comfortable. The main dining room was about two-thirds full last night, as it appeared few knew they were opening on Monday instead of Tuesday (apparently, the private party for Louisiana delegates was cancelled in the wake of Katrina).

The shrimp was gone by 12:33, when I bought my five. Just learned the hard way that our CEO doesn't eat beef. Whoops. Edit: there were probably 15 people in the credit card line and 20 in the cash line when I was there. The process was very quick.

If anyone is traveling through, or near, Logan Circle, I'd appreciate a ride. I'm on 12th St. between M and N and would be happy to walk to you. Thanks!

Water without ice is easy enough to manage, as are most requests that are made in advance. Please, though, if you take straws or six extra lemon wedges with your water, if you want separate checks for each guest, if you'd like to take two tea bags from the box instead of one, if you know that you'd like more bread when you are placing another order, if you'd like a cherry in your Riesling (!), let me know before I deliver them to your table. Extra trips to the table slow down the overall process. When that's happening at each of the tables in a server's section it can wreak havoc on everybody's night. Here are the steps of service I'm already trying to nail down, which is a lot because I receive no aid from food runners or bussers. According to my restaurant's single-server philosophy, my face is the only one that should be seen by the guests at your table. Please be mindful of your opportunities to make multiple, simultaneous requests when I'm at your table; it will help me help you have a better dining experience. 1. Greet with bread, butter, and cocktail napkins. Inquire about water preference (sparkling, still, or tap). Describe specials and other noteworthy presentations. 2. Return with water, take beverage order. 3. Prepare iced teas, pick up all other drinks from bar. 4. Deliver drinks to patrons, solicit orders for appetizers and main courses. 5. Enter appetizer order into POS system. 6. Return within 3 minutes and check-up on drink preparations. 7. Monitor the kitchen for appetizers, soups are prepared by server. 8. Deliver appetizers. 9. Enter into POS main courses or have kitchen fire them if already entered and held. 10. Table-check on appetizers, beverages. 11. Clear appetizers and reset table. 12. Monitor kitchen for main courses. 13. Deliver main courses. 14. Table-check on entrees within 3-5 minutes. 15. Continue beverage service, providing additional rounds as needed. 16. Clear main courses, reset table. 17. Dessert presentation and after-dinner beverage orders. 18. Monitor bar for coffee and liquers. 19. Deliver after-dinner beverages. 20. Monitor pantry for desserts. 21. Deliver desserts. 22. Table check on desserts and beverages within 3-5 minutes. 23. Clear desserts. 24. Presentation of the check. 25. Pickup and processing payment of the check. 26. Check return and farewell. I know that, for the most part, this is preaching to choir at DR.com

In 1981, when I was seven years old, I had my first taste of Popeye's. I was attending Camp Nautilus, a month-long nautical themed summer program for boys, tucked away on Black's Island, a private 11-acre sandbox in the Gulf of Mexico. Near the end of my stay a small group of us took a four-day excursion on an 80' sailboat. I don't remember where it was we ended up, but I do remember the meal we took the last night we docked. All of us kids ate a belly full of fried chicken, and it was the spiciest thing my young, rural Georgian palette had ever encountered. I wasn't to have Popeye's again for more than a decade, but, to me, it's still hypnotic. These days, I eat the 3 chicken strip meal at least once a week, usually with fries or corn on the cob. And for those of you who think the food at Popeye's inedible or the restaurants unclean, I could tell you stories about a couple of Bojangles in North Carolina that would make our favorite cajun chicken joint seem like The French Laundry.

More often than not, I think it's easier for a server to work a party. Whether it is more lucrative depends on the size of the party, the menu, and whether they're big drinkers. There may also be costs to the server for working parties that he or she would not encounter working the floor. For example, at my old restaurant, for private-dining or large, scheduled events--which were the only ones that had an automatic, pre-tax, 20% gratuity--the breakdown of the 20% service charge was: 1% to the house (for which no one ever got an acceptable explanation) 2% to the private dining coordinator 1.5% to the bartender 1.5% to the bussers Leaving 14 %of the pre-tax total for the server. Not bad if you've got a drug company that's dropping $1250 for a party of 15 but not so good if you've got a birthday dinner whose bill will total $800. Personally, I preferred working private parties, especially when the liaison or host understood the nature of the business.

Perhaps the good folks in the business can tell us what proportion of their covers are reservations, and what proportion of reservations come from Opentable. What's it like at Bis, Corduory, Eve, and Notti Bianche, as well as other establishments represented here?

Health Bar is operated by the folks who own the Capitol City Brewing Companies. Their burgers are quite good.

Fill in the list below with your entries: Mon: Tue: Hamburger Mary's (burgers) Wed: Thur: Fri: Health Bar @ Results The Gym (burgers) Sat: Sun: Beacon Bar and Grill (burgers)

They ran out of scallops last night around 7:30, just as I was working my way through the lobster salad. Disappointed at having to make a substitution mid-meal, I opted for the lamb and ravioli, and fell in love with the side dish. Equally as good as the ravioli was dessert, the chocolate hazelnut kit kat bars. This was my first visit; I shall return.

What are your opinions about this place? Is it even on the radar? I live a few blocks away and occasionally find my way there. Be forewarned, NEVER EVER go for peak-hour Friday lunch. I did for my first trip and stood in queue for 55 minutes. I have always found the staff and other patrons to be exceedingly friendly, as in having others notice I was alone and invite me to dine with them. Saints Paradise Cafeteria at the United House of Prayer for All People (601 M St. NW, 202-789-2289) serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Hundreds of people line up for the chicken, ribs, pork chops, fish, macaroni and cheese, greens, green beans, cabbage, rice, candied sweet potatoes, peach cobbler and banana pudding, among other offerings. From a Chowhound post, circa 2000 (near the bottom of the page, search for "church cafeteria")

After a day of touring and sightseeing, with tons of kids...I'd say Old Glory BBQ in Georgetown. You can make a reservation, they have ginormous long tables, and the price is right (a full order of ribs, I think, is $20). Plus, you can sit outdoors.

McCormick and Schmick's (16th & K) has super-discounted food with the purchase of drinks. Between 4 and 6:30, for $1.95 you can get: Burger and Fries Bavarian Weiner and Fries Caesar Salad Steamed Mussels 3 Oyster Shooters (served in a shot glass) The HH selection differs by location.